Conservationist Wins Award for Elephant Rewilding Work
Rachael Murton is recognized for leading a Zambian project that has successfully released 20 elephants into the wild.
Updated on Oct. 25, 2026 in Wildlife
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Conservationist Rachael Murton received the IFAW Wildlife Rescue Award for her work managing the Elephant Orphanage Project in Zambia. Since 2008, the program has successfully rehabilitated and released 20 elephants back into the wild.
Why it matters
Murtons work highlights how targeted rehabilitation programs address the impact of poaching and human-elephant conflict on local ecosystems. By successfully rewilding displaced animals, the project restores natural balance to the Kafue National Park landscape.
The project manages over 280 staff members and currently oversees the care of 17 elephants in rehabilitation. To date, the team has successfully released 20 elephants into their natural habitat.
The players
Rachael Murton
An Essex-raised conservationist and biology graduate who has spent 18 years leading elephant protection efforts in Zambia.
Elephant Orphanage Project
A Zambia-based conservation initiative that provides rescue and rehabilitation services for elephants displaced by poaching.
IFAW
The International Fund for Animal Welfare, a global organization that promotes wildlife conservation and humane treatment standards.
The details
The Elephant Orphanage Project utilizes a rewilding methodology designed to minimize direct human contact with the animals. Conservationists secure landscapes and work with local communities to mitigate conflicts between humans and wildlife that often lead to displacement. These efforts ensure rescued elephants can transition back to independent life in the wild.
Timeline
Rachael Murton helped establish the project in Zambia in 2008.
The former orphanage resident Chamilandu gave birth to her second calf in the wild in 2025.
Murton received the IFAW Wildlife Rescue Award on October 23, 2026.
The Home Front
The success of the Elephant Orphanage Project underscores a broader global trend in rewilding initiatives aimed at restoring biodiversity in threatened ecosystems. These efforts demonstrate how active management can reverse the decline of wildlife populations displaced by industrial and human encroachment.
Readers interested in supporting wildlife conservation can research local habitat protection programs or organizations that partner with global rewilding projects. Monitoring local biodiversity initiatives helps families understand how human development impacts nearby ecosystems and animal corridors.
The takeaway
The successful release of 20 elephants illustrates the effectiveness of intensive rewilding when combined with community engagement. Supporters can track the progress of ongoing rehabilitation efforts at the Elephant Orphanage Project to understand the long-term impact of conservation labor.
Further reading
Learn more about ongoing global conservation efforts by visiting our Wildlife section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Essex Echo.
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